Past Climate and Sea Level: Processes and Proxies
Course content
The course is composed of theory and case-studies. The theory part comprises an introduction to selected climate archives, marine and terrestrial system processes, and additional proxies. Important sedimentary and geochemical proxies, including isotopes, are covered and students are trained in critical reading of scientific key literature. Cases may deal with past climate change, long term carbon cycle and/or seawater geochemical changes, on time scales ranging from thousands to multi-millions of years. Focus will be on pre-Quaternary systems, but items treated may change from year to year. Data collected during laboratory and/or field work are analysed and critically evaluated.
The aim of the course is to provide an overview of past climate and sea-level changes focused on how these changes are observed in the sedimentary records, and what processes, interactions and feedbacks between the components of the climate system may have led to the signal in the sedimentary archives. The course is composed of theory and case-studies. The theory part comprises an introduction to climate archives and marine and terrestrial system processes. Important sedimentary and geochemical proxies, including isotopes, are explained and students are trained in the evaluation of such data. Examples may deal with past climate changes, long-term carbon cycle perturbations and/or modifications of seawater geochemistry on time scales ranging from thousands to multi-millions of years. In the last weeks of the course, students read key papers and produce a review report or write a report about field/laboratory work/data. The students have the necessary background for understanding the importance of observations and hypothesis testing. They should have developed skills in analysing multiple datasets and in interpretation of which process feedbacks lead to the observations; and they should be able to evaluate the validity of geological data archives and to model results through comparative studies.
MSc Programme in Environmental Science
MSc Programme in Geology-Geoscience
Knowledge:
• Describe the main drivers and patterns of the Climate system
of the Earth
• Understand what controls sea-level changes
• Relate sea-level change and climate evolution at different
timescales
• Describe some of the most important marine and terrestrial
system processes
• Apply sedimentary, biotic and geochemical proxies to
reconstruct past climates
Skills:
• Critical evaluate scientific literature
• Interpret geological climate signals
• Place interpretations of climate archives or climate systems
in a wider perspective
Competences:
• Read and understand scientific literature on climate systems
and geological climate archives
• Use relevant definitions and terms
• Describe data from geological climate archives
• Write a concise report
The form of teaching is theory exercises combined with ad hoc lectures and 3 to 4 days field trip. For the teaching plan, please see Absalon.
Please see Absalon.
BSc in Geology-Geoscience or equivalent is recommended.
Participation at first lecture is necessary to plan the
excursion.
Students shall pay for their own travel to and from the field-work
area, as well as entry visa (if required), vaccinations (if
required) and personal medicine (e.g. malaria medication) and 125
DKK per day for food and lodging. For outside DK destinations the
students are required to take out a private illness and
repatriation insurance covering the field period. Detailed
information about payment can be found on the Absalon course
page.
Oral feedback will be given during the classes.
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Type of assessment
-
Written assignment, OngoingOral examination, 20 minutes.The written assignment is prepared during the course and must be handed in prior to the exam week. The oral exam uses the written assignment as its point of departure. There is no preparation for the oral exam. It includes the titles listed in the officially approved reading list. A combined grade is given after the oral exam.
- Aid
- Without aids
- Marking scale
- 7-point grading scale
- Censorship form
- External censorship
Criteria for exam assessment
See learing outcome.
Single subject courses (day)
- Category
- Hours
- Preparation
- 135
- Theory exercises
- 35
- Excursions
- 36
- English
- 206
Kursusinformation
- Language
- English
- Course number
- NIGK17002U
- ECTS
- 7,5 ECTS
- Programme level
- Full Degree Master
- Duration
-
1 block
- Schedulegroup
-
A
- Capacity
- 25 students.
- Studyboard
- Study Board of Geosciences and Management
Contracting department
- Department of Geoscience and Natural Resource Management
Contracting faculty
- Faculty of Science
Course Coordinator
- Christoph Korte (5-6d71747667426b6970306d7730666d)
Teacher
Christoph Korte
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Courseinformation of students